TWO HEARTS, ONE PUZZLE
I'm so so so so so so so so sorry I didn't get this done before my trip to Europe. But it's here now! Don't worry, I didn't abandon this story at all :3
Aaaaand well here's another chapter. Horray! Jesus Christ why is it so hard to write x.x Why do I get distracted so easily x.x halp.
ANYWAY
Discalimers: I am not the proud owner of Yugioh or anything else of importance.
Inspired by two other works mentioned in previous chapters.
This story contains boyxboy aka yaoi don't like don't read does anyone ever even read these probably not so let's just get going shall we yes I think so
Chapter 9: Realization
~…***…***…~
Atem paced back and forth in his chambers, head clasped between his hands. His nails dug deep into his scalp, but the Pharaoh didn't even notice the pain as his head was full of thought, thousands buzzing by him a second. He couldn't understand himself even in his own mind, and it was driving him crazy.
"Damn that slave!"
He kicked over a chair and it went flying across the floor before smacking into the wall, leaving a dent. In the next instant, he pivoted and punched the wall, sending a bolt of shock through his arm that he disregarded. He hissed through his teeth, clenching them tightly along with his closed fist which was still in contact with the wall.
"Why do his actions torment me so…this boy…this damned slave…" he muttered angrily. "He follows orders so blindly when it only concerns himself, but as soon as one of those other slaves gets involved, suddenly he rebels! Then he refuses to break even after such torment…such pain…I put him through hell and yet he still doesn't make any attempt to disobey! It's as if he doesn't care about his own life!"
Atem bashed his forehead into the wall, the golden eye piece pressing deep into his skin. Something in the back of his mind said it would probably leave an imprint but the Pharaoh ignored the thought. "Not that it's worth anything anyway…the life of that…boy…"
The king slunk down to the floor, resting his head against the wall, his hands bracing himself upon it. Fists clenched and eyes shut tight, Atem trembled as he dug deeper into his own subconscious searching for the answers he so desired but couldn't seem to reach. "Why…why does he act this way…I don't understand it at all…"
Atem had never been so flustered, so angry at a slave before. They weren't worth his time. Usually if they did anything not to his liking, they were killed on the spot. Yet he had let this boy run circles around him. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to simply end him. But why…why couldn't he kill this slave? What was different about him? Was it because of the prophecy? No, Atem didn't believe in such a ridiculous thing. Or did he…
"Hrrrrrrrrrrrg!" Atem stood and brutally knocked over his bedside table, sending a candelabra crashing down onto the floor and splintered wood flying in all directions. He grabbed his head pressing his fingers into his temples, eyes wide and breathing unnatural.
Why…why…why…
The prophecy said that boy was connected to him…perhaps that was why he couldn't kill him, couldn't raise a blade to him. If he did, he would be killing a part of himself…no, no it couldn't be. That's crazy…crazy…
But then what other reason could there be for the Pharaoh's lack of ability to kill a single powerless slave?
A part of himself…
Atem screamed and began trashing his room, hurling furniture and décor smashing them to bits. He tore the curtains and his pillows, lifted his wardrobe, muscles bulging, and threw it down making a huge thud that made the whole room shudder. Smacking himself in the head, he started hyperventilating. His breath was short and sharply drawn, eyes bloodshot and pupils fully dilated. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the copper mirror; one of the few things in his room he hadn't destroyed. In his own reflection, he saw the image of the slave boy in his own features.
He grabbed the mirror with both hands and slammed his head into it causing it to shatter. Stray fragments went flying in all directions and the impact cut his forehead, causing blood to trickle down his face. He licked it as it traveled to his lips, salty and warm. But even in the remains of the cracked mirror, he still saw that boy's likeness in himself. It was as if…they were the same…equals.
He started laughing.
It wasn't a happy laugh. It was a crazed, insane, maniacal laugh. He tossed the broken mirror across the room, pieces of metal scattering dangerously and the loud crash echoing off the walls. Wrapping his arms around his torso, the Pharaoh continued laughing, unable to stop the painful action. It alternated between anguished screams and terrible laughter as he fell backward, rolling around on the floor like a rabid animal. He dug his nails into his flesh and his brain recognized the pain, but his laughter would not subside. Atem had fallen off the deep end with an unnatural, frightening grin plastered on his face.
~…***…***…~
Seth backed away from the Pharaoh's bedroom door, hearing the crazed sounds coming from his king as he argued with no one. His hand covered his mouth so as not to make a sound, not that the Pharaoh would be able to hear him over his own screaming anyway. He could only listen to Atem's torment for so long before realizing he had quite possibly gone mad. What happened to his king…was it really that boy causing him to act this way? How could such a pathetic little slave boy bring so much anguish upon the Pharaoh? It made no sense to Seth who decided silently in his mind to keep a closer eye on the king for fear that he might have to take drastic measures to protect him and his sanity.
~…***…***…~
The sound of dripping water and clinking chains echoed through the freezing stone tunnels of the dungeon as Yugi hung by his crossed wrists from the wall, which were now torn and bleeding from the handcuffs and chains chaffing him for the past two days. His face was bruised and cut from the beating he received from the guards, apparently on the orders of the Pharaoh. But Yugi remembered so little; everything was hazy and painful. He stared with empty eyes at the floor where glimmering light from the flaming torches danced, illuminating little of the dark room. Had he the strength to look to his left and right, he would have seen the skeletal remains of other slaves who dared anger the Pharaoh, still chained even in death; forgotten. With their skulls pitched forward and jaws hanging open as if they died screaming of pain from starvation or some other torture, they offered no shimmer of hope to the young boy holding on for his life as he hung from the chains above his head with his feet off the ground.
Will I die here…? Is this…is this where I'm going to slip away…?
Thoughts swam in Yugi's head, as he had little else to do but ponder his situation and eminent fate. Do the gods truly hate me? If so…why do they keep me alive…?
He pleaded silently, his voice broken and strained and simply withered along with whatever optimism he still had in his heart.
Please, Ra…l have failed you…let me die…
Just as Yugi was about to completely give up, he heard a sound come from down the hallway. It couldn't be a guard; the ones that beat him said the Pharaoh ordered him to be left to die. A twinge of curiosity forced his head up slightly allowing his gaze to peer across the room to the corridor, spying a small hand gripping the wall. He drew in sharp breath when he saw who it belonged to: Ryou.
The white-haired boy stood timidly, half hiding in the shadows of the hallway. He kept looking back over his shoulder as if he were being followed, but kept his attention mostly on Yugi with a pained expression on his face. But what was he doing there? Why was Ryou-
He answered his own question as he saw the boy pull from his tunic pocket a ring with a metal key attached to it. It clinked loudly in the silence of the dungeon as he flinched at the sound before dashing over to the boy hanging against the wall. He took the key and reached up, trying to unlock the handcuffs.
"R…Ry…Ryou…?" Yugi muttered, drawing every ounce of energy left in his body to speak. "What…are you…doing…?"
"Shhh…quiet," he whispered in reply. "They'll hear…"
Ryou kept trying to get the key into the lock but was having trouble. Yugi cringed at the thought of a guard coming in at that very moment and finding him trying to break the other boy out. Would he be punished the same? Or even worse? Yugi couldn't bear the thought.
"Ryou…please…get out of here…" he managed between hushed gasps, his lungs straining. "You're going to get…caught…please…"
The other slave boy shook his head as he stood on his tiptoes trying to free Yugi. "I'm not going to sit around and let you die!"
"But…what about…you…?"
"I don't care what happens to me. I've been here a long time, Yugi. They can't do much more to me."
Yugi's breathing became heavy as he continued to try and talk. "They…could…kill…you…" his voice was desperate. "…please…stop…"
Ryou seemed to ignore his plea and would not give up as he forced the key into the lock and attempted to turn it, making a huge CLANG as he did so which made both of them flinch. When Yugi opened his eyes, they widened in terrible horror as he saw a familiar face standing in the corridor, his face half hidden by the shadows and half in light of the torch's flame.
There stood Atem, with a crazed smile on his twitching face.
Just as he tried to summon his voice and warn Ryou, he realized it was too late. The Pharaoh strode over to the white-haired slave boy and grabbed him roughly, throwing him down on the floor and causing the key and ring to clash across the floor and slide to a corner. Yugi cringed and clenched his teeth as the Pharaoh took a whip from a rack on the wall and cracked it over the boy lying on the floor, laughing maniacally as he did so. Ryou winced and cried out in pain as he was whipped repeatedly, the leather leaving dark red marks on his skin. His body twitched unnaturally and tears welled up in his eyes. Still laughing, Atem kicked the boy into the wall and smashed his face in, crushing it with the weight of his foot. He coughed up blood which splattered on the floor and wall, and several drops landed on the Pharaoh's cheek.
"Trying to help him escape, hm?! Defying my orders?! I WILL NOT STAND FOR ANY MORE DISOBEDIENCE!" the Pharaoh raged, continuing to kick and whip Ryou until he bled.
It felt like hours for Yugi, watching from the other side of the dungeon cell. Ryou tried to hold on as long as possible, but it wasn't long before his cries ceased and the boy went silent. His body became limp and no longer responded to the continuing abuse of Atem. But the king wouldn't stop. It was as if he didn't even realize the boy had gone unconscious, or was even dead. Yugi couldn't take it. The slave boy was already being left for dead and had already prayed to the gods for death. Yugi decided it would be his dying act to try and save Ryou. He summoned every ounce of strength in his body and spoke out:
"S…s…st….stop…."
Atem didn't hear him. His deranged laughter rang through the dungeon and cancelled out all other sounds. Yugi prepared himself and forced his lungs beyond their limits.
"I SAID STOP!"
Atem froze.
Eerie silence hung between them as he held his foot raised above Ryou, ready to bring it crashing down. But instead he remained still, stunned by the voice he just heard. The king turned to see Yugi, the boy's eyes fierce with a tiny fire he still managed to hold onto.
The Pharaoh's smile disappeared.
Leaving the white-haired boy, Atem moved toward Yugi so swiftly that the slave boy didn't even have time to flinch before being punched in the gut. He coughed up a fit as the Pharaoh began to beat him, using his fists, knees, elbows, and the whip he still had in his hand. A bloodcurdling cry resounded through the room and most likely up to the palace from Yugi's throat, almost deafening Atem's broken screams of anguish.
"WHY?! WHY DO YOU OBEY ME?! WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO REBEL AGAINST ME FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE TO YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS?! WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT THEM SO GODDAMN MUCH?!" Atem hurled insults and scathing words at Yugi, who could do nothing but take the painful punishment, unable to even react to the sting of the whip on his skin. It burned like fire; a familiar feeling. Yet he didn't even flinch as it and Atem's fists came down striking him.
"SCREAM, BOY! BEG FOR MERCY!" The Pharaoh ordered, but Yugi said nothing and simply took the beating. Already so weak that he could be taken up to the heavens by the gods, Yugi silently hoped this would be the last time he would have to face the king; The last time he would have to watch his friends be hurt because of him; The last time he would have to feel so much pain…
Yugi felt himself slipping.
His eyes began to close and his breathing slowed. Yugi could no longer keep his head up and he let it fall forward, his already limp body starting to go numb. He felt the cold embrace of death come creeping up around him like a cloud of shadowed mist to take him away…
But his wish was not granted.
Yugi didn't even realize Atem had long since stopped his assault on the young boy. Managing to open his eyes, he looked up to see the Pharaoh breathing heavily, the whip dropped from his hand and now lying on the ground beside Ryou. The boy didn't seem to be breathing and would not move. Atem's eyes were bloodshot and wide, his breathing hitched and unnatural. It took so much strength for Yugi to even conjure thoughts in his own mind…
….why….did he….stop…?
His question was answered when Atem fell to the floor and collapsed. Despite everything up to this point, Yugi couldn't help but feel concerned for him.
"Why…why aren't you like the others…" Atem murmured. "Why do you care so much for your…friends? No matter how many times I nearly kill you…you stand up for them…it makes no sense…why are they so important to you?!"
Yugi didn't understand why the Pharaoh was so bent on finding out the "motives" of a slave. But something inside him told him to answer, even if it was the last thing he did.
"….be….because…" he started, causing Atem to perk up and meet his dying gaze.
"…th….they are…my…family…..they h….have…always been there….for…for me….when I…was in….the darkest places…they saved…me…."
Atem stared blankly at the boy, blinking in confusion. "…family?"
Yugi managed to nod. "They are…all I have left…without them…I would be dead…so I owe…them my….life…"
"Owe…"
"They mean more…to me…than my own….life…"
Atem sat slumped on the floor, staring down at his lap. Blood dripped from Yugi's wounds, puddling beneath him on the stone. But for the echoing of the drips and both of their irregular breathing, silence hung in the air for what seemed like hours. Yugi held on for dear life, now for some reason not wanting to let go. Finally, Atem stood and turned his head toward the hallway.
"GUARDS!"
Two men in their uniform tunics appeared immediately. Had they been there the whole time?
Atem motioned to Ryou. "Take him away."
The guards nodded and quickly came to his side, carefully picking up the limp, bruised and bleeding body of the white-haired boy. He had long since stopped breathing and Yugi winced as he watched them carry him off. Was Ryou really dead? Did that boy just die trying to save him? Tears would have welled up in his eyes had Yugi the strength to cry. Then to his surprise, Atem snapped his fingers and another two guards appeared in the hallway. This time, he turned to Yugi. His eyes were…different than before. The boy braced himself for the next words to come from the Pharaoh's mouth, no doubt going to seal his fate and end his pitiful life…
"Bring him as well."
…what?
Atem's voice was calmer than usual…somehow…almost…kind.
"Do not allow this one to die."
With that, Atem left the dungeon, leaving the guards to unchain Yugi from the wall. The shock of what had just happened was too much for Yugi's frail body. As the strain was released from his wrists, Yugi let himself sleep, leaving his life in the care of the guards.
~…***…***…~
Enraged cries of anger filled Atem's chambers as he picked up already broken furniture and hurled it across the room, smashing them into even smaller pieces and bashing pieces of the walls out. His knuckles were bloody as were his heels, and he kicked off his now nearly destroyed sandals. It's true that Atem got what he wanted: he questioned the slave boy to find out why he cares so much about his friends. But somehow he pictured it differently in his head. In all honesty, he didn't really know what he expected. But the answer he got from Yugi only made him even more enraged.
Now he wasn't even sure what he was angry for.
Just the very thought of him made his blood boil. How could such a boy cause him so much pain? It made no sense to him.
Why am I getting so worked up over some little slave?! Why should I care about his friends?! They mean nothing to me, he's just-
Unable to even finish his own sentence, he tore the gold jewelry from his body tossed the pieces away. But his hand stopped short when he felt his hand grasp the millennium puzzle around his neck. All thoughts stopped in his head as the Pharaoh looked down at the gold object hanging down at his chest.
This…this was the source of everything…
The prophecy.
Suddenly he remembered why he felt so angry. That boy…he was connected to the puzzle, to the millennium items…to the Pharaoh himself.
Was that why he couldn't kill him? Because deep down he truly believed in the prophecy?
He touched the hole where the missing piece was supposed to be with a slender finger.
Maybe…the boy does mean something…
The Pharaoh felt something deep in his heart strings tug; warmth spread across his chest. It was a strange feeling, something unfamiliar to him. For so many years he had been cold, uncaring of anything but himself. He had no one to be truly kind to him and thus was never kind to anyone or felt anything for anyone. But now…he felt connected to the boy…but at the same time hated him.
Was it….because he had friends?
Something Atem never had…someone who loved him and he could love back…
…was this…jealousy?
Was the Pharaoh jealous of a slave boy?
"THAT'S ABSURD!" he shouted to himself. "ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! Absolutely…ridiculous…."
Atem sank to the floor, staring at his hands now cut and bruised from both the punishment of the two boys and from tearing up his chambers. They trembled. The almighty powerful pharaoh…was trembling…
…because of a slave.
It was at that moment that he screamed louder than ever before, and in response, a knock came from his door.
"Who is it?!" Atem demanded. "Who dares disturb me?!"
A concerned and familiar voice came from the other side. "I…It is Seth, my king. I heard your cries and became worried for your well-being…are you alright? May I come in?"
Atem blinked in surprise before responding. "Very well. You may enter…"
The high priest came into the room and the Pharaoh watched as his expression changed from worry to shock at the dismantled room, broken furniture littered by shards of glass and copper with his mighty king crumpled at the middle like a dog reprimanded for misbehaving. He hurried to his side, careful of the dangerous debris on the floor. He didn't dare touch the king, however, knowing to do so without his permission was completely forbidden. Instead he simply kneeled, his presence seeming to comfort the man before him.
"My Pharaoh…what troubles you? What causes you to act this way? Is there anything I can do to help you, my king?" he asked, voice filled with concern for Atem. He was unsure if his words would help or rather anger him further and he braced himself for the latter result.
But instead Atem looked at Seth with an expression the priest had never seen before. "Seth…my most trusted advisor…I…I am confused…" his gaze shifted to the floor. "It's that boy…Yugi…he does whatever must be done to protect his friends, even if it means discarding his own life…I don't understand it…I don't understand it at all…"
Seth tilted his head forward, sighing softly. "My king, because he could be the one of prophecy…if he is truly connected to you as the inscription and your dreams imply, then perhaps…if I may be so bold to say so…you must come to learn more about him so that you may understand him. Perhaps that is why his actions anger you so…because you cannot possibly understand a slave boy being a Pharaoh. He is different from you, as you are from him. Perhaps there is something he has that you are…lacking."
The more Atem thought, the more he came to realize that Seth was right. There was something Yugi had that Atem didn't:
Friends.
Friends he could confide in; to help him when he was sad or angry; to cheer him up and make him smile. They were the source of his happiness, his confidence, his strength. They made him strong enough to stand up to the one man who controlled all of Egypt. They…loved him. And Yugi loved them dearly. That was the difference between him and Atem. Atem had no one. Being a cruel Pharaoh, you don't really have friends or lovers unless they are forced into becoming so. And that isn't true love or friendship. What Yugi had was real, and it angered him.
"Seth…what should I do…" he asked the advisor kneeling before him.
The other man chose his words carefully and spoke: "You must follow your heart, my Pharaoh. You are the only one who can decide this for yourself."
He thought long and hard, trying to decode his own person. He searched the confines of his heart until it made him feel like he was suffocating, drowning in his own conscious. Then it hit him. It was what he lost so long ago, what he lacked. Atem wanted to feel the love Yugi felt from his friends. He yearned for the thing missing in his heart, and it tore him up trying to figure that out with the only things ever being taught were pain and betrayal. Atem wanted someone to love…and someone to love him back.
Was that the boy's purpose then? To bridge the gap the pharaoh had put between himself and the rest of the world? Maybe then, all the emotion swirling inside him, hatred and anger, was really disguised as something else, trying to hide the fact that somewhere deep down in his stone heart, where a tiny fire had sparked a flame…perhaps…
…Atem loved Yugi.
That thought was the last straw. His walls crumbled and Atem let out a strained whimper, making his voice crack:
"That boy…could he really be…"
Atem struggled to say the words his heart knew were true but his mind and pride attempted so hard to deny.
"…my other half…"
Slowly accepting the truth, the pharaoh brought his hands to his face. His mind collapsed, turning itself over like an upset stomach. These foreign feelings pierced his heart like spears and he was sure his chest would burst. Briefly he wished it would. He motioned for Seth to leave him, and the priest obeyed. He closed the door behind him, leaving Atem alone once more. But the Pharaoh didn't want even his most trusted advisor to see him like this.
That night was the first time in years that the Pharaoh Atem had cried.
~…***…***…~
Yugi winced as Mana dabbed a cut on his neck with some green paste that she had told him would help it heal, but at the moment only seemed to be making it worse. He was lying down on one of the stone tables, head resting on a pillow and covered in a warm blanket to keep his temperature up. Mahad was in an adjacent room working on a potion to help increase his white blood cell count and prevent infection from his wounds being open for so long. Yugi's breathing was still uneven, causing his chest to heave. Mana cooed him as she dabbed the paste across his skin, tending to his many cuts and bruises.
"Poor thing…" she whispered to herself, so quiet even Yugi couldn't hear. "Treated like this for obeying him…"
Somehow, the boy still managed to act happy. Yugi looked up at her with a sincere smile. "Thank you, Mana…"
The healing girl shook her head. "Shhh…don't talk. You need to rest. I'll talk to the servants in the kitchen and have them make you something with a lot of iron…perhaps some meat…that will help you with your blood loss…"
Yugi managed a painful chuckle. "That sounds nice…"
When she was finished, Mana took the bowl of paste and went to join Mahad in the other room. Against her orders for rest, the boy sat up and looked over his body, riddled with wounds now coated in something green and sticky that he was somewhat glad Mana hadn't bothered to tell him what it actually was. His whole body ached, but that was a common feeling now. It was almost as if he was used to it. The fact that he nearly died didn't daunt him. He was just surprised by the fact that the Pharaoh had decided to let him live rather than kill him. Up until now, he had so many opportunities to. In truth, he could kill him anytime. He was Pharaoh after all. Yet still, he put up with him even though he seemed to anger the king so much. Why…
Yugi train of thought came to a halt when he heard someone moan beside him. He turned to see Ryou lying on his back under several blankets, eyes closed and breathing slow. The white-haired slave boy had been sleeping for a long time. It was expected, since he had taken the worst beating between the two. Unconscious since the events in the dungeon, Ryou finally stirred and opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh light coming from the windows.
"Ryou…" Yugi whispered. "Are you alright?"
The other boy lay silent for a minute before turning to see Yugi sitting on a bed next to him. He registered that he asked him a question, and he simply gave his usual cheerful smile. "Yes…I'm fine…"
Yugi's eyes squished together as he pouted. "You could have been killed Ryou…I was sure you were dead…I'm so sorry, it's my fault you got hurt…"
The kind boy shook his head. "Not at all, Yugi. I wanted to help…"
"Shhh….go back to sleep Ryou…you need rest…" Yugi mothered him.
Ryou laughed lightly. "Isn't that what Mana told you?"
Yugi blushed in embarrassment and turned away, much to the amusement of the other boy who started coughing. Yugi jumped out of his bed and came to pat the other slave on his back, comforting him.
"Thank you…Yugi…"
"Please don't thank me, Ryou…I'm the one who got this done to you in the first place…that crazy Pharaoh-"
Ryou stopped him short, shaking his head again. "Please don't blame the Pharaoh for this…Yugi…it's not his fault…"
Yugi looked at Ryou in confusion. "Ryou…he beat you nearly to death…"
"The Pharaoh…isn't all bad, Yugi…I know this…the other slaves don't believe it…but I do…I know there is something more to him…than the cruelty he shows to everyone…no one can truly be so hateful…there must be a reason why…I believe…I believe someone can bring out the kindness in him…my parents always told me not to judge someone before you really know them…so…please Yugi…you're the closest anyone has ever gotten to him…"
He paused to cough.
"…He looks at you differently, Yugi…he looks at you with different eyes when no one else is looking. He thinks no one notices but I do. I think you might be the one who can finally break his stone shell…and bring out the true heart of the Pharaoh. I don't think that deep down he is really as cruel as he appears or tries to be…but I am in no position to reach out to him…so…will you…believe in him…for me…?"
Yugi hesitated. The Pharaoh had done nothing but be cruel to him and everyone else for as long as he knew. He wondered if there really could be any goodness in his heart. But then the words of Shadi surfaced in his mind, reminding him of the prophecy:
"…the true power of the Pharaoh will be unlocked and a child will be the spark to a chain of events leading to history being rewritten."
The true power…could that be what Ryou spoke of?
Am I really going to be the one to rewrite history?
Either way, he was connected to the Pharaoh somehow. Was that why Yugi wasn't able to die by his hand? Surely the Pharaoh didn't know of this prophecy or he would be forcing Yugi to make him more powerful. If he knew, then surely he would know more than Yugi and could use him to his advantage. Yet he hadn't. The Gods wouldn't let Yugi die. That in itself had to mean something. Maybe he was destined to be the one to trust the Pharaoh, destined to make the first step towards breaking the chains on his heart. He had trusted him up until now, trying to believe in him despite his actions. Yugi decided he wouldn't let his and Ryou's bravery go to waste. It had to mean something, and Yugi wasn't about to give up. His heart filled with resolve and he smiled down at Ryou.
"I will." The white-haired boy returned his warm expression. "I will trust in the Pharaoh."
Just as he said that, Mahad returned with a pitcher which he nearly dropped at the sight of Yugi out of bed and Ryou having woken up.
"What do you think you're doing, Yugi?" he questioned him in a teacher voice.
Yugi yelped and quickly returned to his bed, flinching at the pain of his wounds and letting out a small mew like a kitten. Mahad chuckled and came to his side, offering him a glass filled with clear liquid from the pitcher. "Drink this."
Yugi obliged and swallowed the foul tasting medicine. He stuck out his tongue, causing Ryou to snicker and, as a result of that, cough; this time with blood. Mahad quickly turned to the other and pressed a hand to his back, blue light glowing around it as he slowly began to heal the boy's insides which he heard Mana and Mahad discussing had been practically turned to mush.
Yugi turned thoughts over and over. Could he really trust the Pharaoh? Was there really hope of finding the goodness in his heart?
Am I really the one…the boy of prophecy?
Seeing Ryou beside him in the state he was, Yugi felt anger well up inside him. But he ignored it for him, he wanted to believe in Ryou, and thus he decided to trust the Pharaoh. No matter what, he would devote his servitude to him to drawing out whatever true disposition the king possessed. For Ryou…
…or was it for himself?
Yugi felt a twinge of something in his heart. A spark; a flame. Was it anger? No…something else. But it was warm. He couldn't decipher it, but it made him somehow…happy. Thinking about the
Pharaoh…did that make him…happy? No, that couldn't be. He was the man that nearly killed several of his friends, him included. How could he be…happy…to think of him? And yet…something warm filled up a corner of his heart. What was it…why…
Yugi's thoughts were dashed again as Mana came into the room with a plate of something he hadn't tasted in years: meat. It was poor quality and very small in portion, like everything else he was given. But it was meat. She used a fork to pick up a bit of the shredded beef and held it up to Yugi's mouth.
"Say 'Ahh~'!" she said playfully, trying to lighten the mood. Yugi gladly took a bite, smiling at the different-than-usual taste. He left those thoughts aside as he ate, his mind now set on getting himself back to health.
~…***…***…~
End Chapter
JESUS
FUCKING
CHRIST
I'm so sorry this took…how long…five weeks? Europe kept me away from my laptop and my laziness took care of the rest. Along with the fact that this was going to be two chapters but I felt like it would flow better if it was combined into one. Sorry about that, thanks for your continued support. I really appreciate all the reviews!
Definitely more to come guys, keep a watch out for the next chapter!
Atem: NCKNVKEMLKEMCKECJEPIWJ HURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH WTF WRITER
Writer: *throws up hands* IM SORRY OK
Yugi: Writer why…why do you do this…
Writer: *CRIES* FORGIVE ME
Seth: Look at all the crazy I have to deal with because of you…
Writer: Shut up no one cares Seth
Seth: T-T
Writer: :D
ANYWAY
Leave a review if you'd like! Love having feedback from you guys, really helps. Keep watching for Chapter 10!